Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning at each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines, features, and enhancements available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Therefore, there is a continuing need for gaming machine manufacturers to continuously develop new games and improved gaming enhancements that will attract frequent play through enhanced entertainment value to the player.
One problem associated with current gaming machines is that they fail to enhance game play experience or to add ambiance to a gaming environment in a controllable and tasteful way. For example, many current gaming machines completely fail to provide any type of ambient light to further enhance visual effects displayed on a game display.
Although other current gaming machines make an attempt to provide some type of ambient light, these gaming machines fail to do so without distracting the player or to do it in a tasteful way. For example, some current gaming machines include add-on elements, e.g., illuminated bezels, that are generally considered distracting and indiscrete to the player. The add-on elements fail to functionally and aesthetically integrate with the gaming cabinet and, therefore, detract from an enhanced game play experience. In addition, such elements fail to extend and emphasize the game experience beyond the traditional electronic display borders. As such, current ambient elements, such as add-on bezels, are obtrusive and unpleasant in character and tend to either distract the player from the gaming event or they disrupt attempts to create a pleasant visual ambience for the player.
Therefore, a need exists for a gaming machine that will provide a solution to the problems discussed above and to other problems.